My Only Strength Is Losing You
by locoforcoco
Summary: The Doors of Death have been closed, the sacrifice being none other than Percy Jackson, who was supposedly unstoppable, but now dead. Annabeth is completely crushed, but with this feeling comes strength, a burning passion for revenge. With Jason, Piper, Hazel, Frank, Leo, and Nico, will she be able to help defeat Gaea to make sure Percy's life wasn't given up for nothing?
1. My Newfound Strength

**Annabeth**

Pain. I thought that by this point, I was a master of it, both emotionally and physically...That's until _that _happened, the death of my Seaweed Brain. He was too loyal, too stubborn for his mind to be changed, but that didn't matter to me.

I still felt like it was all my fault, I still felt like reality was crashing down on me. We...We had just been reunited maybe a week ago? Possibly less? And now he was gone forever, thanks to the Doors of Death.

Why did he have to do that? Why did he have to sacrifice himself? Did he even know how much pain this was for me? I know he was just trying to save everyone else...But it wasn't fair! I suddenly felt angry at everyone. The gods. My friends. My family. Percy. Myself...

I know I should have stopped him, and I tried. But maybe if I just...Maybe if I had done something differently he would still be here, possibly with me. The worst part is, we aren't sure if he's gone or not.

Nico, who would, or should have been able to sense Percy's death, had felt nothing. And that wasn't necessarily good. He believed it had something to do with Tartarus, that possibly the souls in there were causing his senses to just stop working. I prayed to every immortal I knew that wasn't the case.

We still figured he was gone, as much as it pained us. Let's face it. He was already in a bad condition from all of the previous battles against bloodthirsty monsters, and this time, I wasn't even there to help...I can still remember it clearly, him closing the doors, as if I had just rewatched the scene over and over again.

**_*Flashback*_**

_"Percy, don't," I pleaded desperately. _

_He looked at me with sad eyes, that were somehow worse than the empty look they just so recently held. I knew in my heart what he would do; it was his hero complex, as we called it, acting up._

_"Annabeth," he had said, in a soft tone of voice. "You know that I can't let you stay here, right?"_

_"But why not!?" I protested. "At least let me close the doors with you...Remember? As long as we're together?"_

_"On any other circumstance, I would agree...But I can't let you die...Promise me you'll move on?" He looked at me, his eyes begging for forgiveness at what he was about to do. _

_"No!" I shouted. "You aren't leaving me, not again!" _

_"I-I'm sorry," he said, his eyes tightly shut. _

_"Too bad!'I'm not asking for your permission Jackson! I'm coming!'' I said, crossing my arms._

_Percy looked over at Jason, Leo, and Frank grimly, but they already got the message. _

_"Come on Annabeth, let's go-" _

_"No!" I yelled again, interrupting Jason while sobbing. "I don't care about the Doors of Death! I don't care about the stupid war! I just...My Seaweed Brain!"_

_"We have to leave, Annabeth," he continued somber, ignoring my outburst. _

_"But-" I broke down sobbing right there. I hated myself for being so weak, for letting down my walls, for letting another person get so close to me. _

_"Wise Girl," Percy said quietly, in his caring voice. "Don't cry. We'll meet again someday, maybe even sooner than you think. And I promise I'll try my hardest to make it back to the other end, it's not too late yet."_

_"I...I love you Percy."_

_"I love you too, Annabeth...And I always will."_

_With that he had turned and walked back through the doors, and started pushing on them from the inside, while the other guys did so from the outside. Hazel and Piper were clutching each other, sobbing. _

_I stood there watching in horror, frozen in a trance. I could barely believe what was happening, maybe because I refused to believe it...Right __before the doors closed, I caught a glimpse of empty sea green eyes, then darkness..._

**_*End Of Flashback*_**

That scene played through my mind on a daily basis... Then I would go to bed, or try to, and find no relief in sleep. It would just bring more nightmares. One night, as I was laying down, the pain hit me like a physical wound.

I realized that Percy and I would never get married, never have children, never have a future that we had already started thinking about. And I would never be able to call him Seaweed Brain again, and hear Wise Girl in response.

I would miss his smile, his laugh, his sense of humor, his bravery, his loyalty, and even his stupidity. But most of all, _him._ He promised we would never be broken apart again, he _promised_, but yet, it didn't do anything.

I felt like just giving up. What was the point anymore? I loved him- No- I still love him, and this feeling it's inhumane, it's unbearable...And if it was this bad for me, I can only imagine how he must have felt .

Out of everyone on this Earth, he deserved to have a happy ending. He was so kind, and he went through so much. Percy didn't deserve this. No one did. As he once had said, the nicest people had the rottenest luck. But who would have ever thought that statement would turn on him someday?

My heart felt empty. For once in my life, I felt as if all of my pride dissapeared. I missed him, more than words can describe. I decided something. Then and there. Gaea was going down, no matter what the cost. I would make sure of it.

**Author's Note: Hey guys! So that was the first chapter! Should I continue this? Sorry, just wondering. XP Bye for now!**


	2. An Terrible Surprise

**Nico**

It's been what? One day? Two? Yet, the grief was still fresh. All of us weren't sure what to do. Percy was our leader, it was unofficial, but everyone knew it.

I tried giving Annabeth a sense of security, saying that he still had a chance. But honestly? He was dying, I could feel it. I didn't tell anyone else this though, they didn't need more to worry about.

I realized that I never told him important things. He was going to die, and I never got to tell him that I don't blame him anymore... For Bianca's death. Great, now that added to my guilt.

Why didn't I take his place? I really don't have anything to live for now... My mother is dead, my dad hates me, Bianca is gone, It's not like I'm in a relationship, and Hazel...Hazel could move on eventually. I'm just scared that Annabeth was broken beyond repair.

I decided to talk to the others. I'm used to death and grief, this was just another miserable thing. I would have to get them moving. First I went to wake up Annabeth, she might be crushed, but she still had sense.

Walking slowly, as the whole flying ship thing made me sick, I went over to her room and knocked on her door. There was no reply. I twisted the door knob, only to find the room empty.

Where could she be? Just then I heard loud sobbing coming from Percy's room. Why didn't I figure she was there before? I walked over to the room and opened the door, to find Annabeth curled on his bed in a fetal position, crying uncontrollably, sobs making her body shake.

"Annabeth?" I called.

"What?" She asked, her voice so full of unmistakable pain even while it was muffled against a pillow.

"We're all going to talk about what to do next, tell everyone to meet on the top deck," I told her.

She nodded and I closed the door. I hoped that the others weren't as sad, we needed to say focused, though I admit- I wasn't feeling too happy either. I sighed heavily and walked to the top deck, where everyone was seated.

Almost everyone had a tear-stained face or dark circles under their eyes. Some had both... No one payed me any mind as I took my spot, and waited. I cleared my throat in hopes that some one would start talking. I really wasn't used to being a leader.

"What now?" Piper asked grimly, breaking the tense silence.

"We...We should go back to camp," Annabeth mumbled, her head in her hands.

"What? Why?" Jason questioned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Why do you think?" She spat, seeming on the verge of tears.

"Well, I-"

"No, she's right," I interrupted, all heads turning to me. I shifted uncomfortably before continuing.

"Even if he- Percy- isn't gone yet, we still need to inform the others, and...Pay our respects... Just in case..." My voice cracked, but in all honestly, I didn't care.

"Besides," Hazel added. "We need to warn them about Gaea's forces...Gather an army."

"Yeah! We're going to kick those suckers where Apollo doesn't shine!" Coach Hedge broke in. "That's what they'll get for ever messing with us!"

I resisted the urge to facepalm, and looked around. Everyone seemed so- Hopeless. It's the first time I've seen them this discouraged. I could sense it in their auras, everyone thought we were goners. Well...Everyone except Coach Hedge.

"It doesn't matter," Frank stated miserably. "Even if we get an army, we won't have any hope of winning. We lost our best fighter, and-"

That set me off. "Just, stop it!" I said, cutting him off. "Yeah, Percy's gone, okay? He's probably not coming back, and it's all because he sacrificed himself so we had a chance! But now guess what? You're all acting like there's no hope. None. Is this what he would want? To see you all this discouraged? I don't exactly think so. So stop moping around, and do something!"

"Death boys' right," Leo stated, the most serious he's ever been. "Let's win this war, for Percy!"

Everyone turned to Leo shocked, momentarily forgetting their grief, including me. Was he actually just acting like he was serious? For once in his life?

"What?" He asked. "Do I have something on my face?"

"Yeah," Frank snorted. "All over it."

"Let's just stop arguing, and get going," Jason said stepping between the two.

Leo nodded and ran off to his Wii remote controls, Piper started trying to console Annabeth, Hazel was talking with Frank, and Jason was just standing there awkwardly. I looked around, then ran into Percy's room, making sure the door was locked.

I took out a drachma, and threw it into his fountain, morphing the shadows away so there was nothing but light. I hoped Tartarus had good reception.

"O' Iris, Goddess of The Rainbow, please accept my offering and show me Percy Jackson."

I squinted as the mist around me shimmered, to be replaced with a dark setting. I could barely see. If I looked hard enough, I could see a black headed figure, coated in blood.

"Percy?" I asked uncertainly.

The figure turned to me. "Yeah? Wait...Nico? Is that you?"

"It's me."

"How did you-"

I cut him off. "Listen, I don't have a lot of time. Where are you now? How far did you get?"

"Not very. I sprained my ankle, so that sucks."

I groaned. "That is terrible...Everyone's discouraged, what do I do?"

"Just take a lesson from me, and wing it...How's Annabeth?"

"She's...She's Okay."

"Nico."

"Fine, she's a wreck."

"Tell her that I love her, okay?"

"But they can't know I contacted you."

"At least let her know."

I sighed. "Fine."

"Good. Now, I ha-"

Percy yelled out and then the image shimmered and dissapeared. Was he alive? What just happened? I was about to try to reconnect when I heard Leo's voice fill the ship.

"Guys, I think there's something you should see! Get up and over here pronto!"

I quietly left Percy's room so no one would realize what I had just done. By the time I reached the top deck and went into the control room, everyone had on faces of horror.

"What's wrong?" I asked bluntly.

Wordlessly, Hazel led me over to the window. When I looked down, I saw purple and orange clad figures battling- Then it hit me.

The Romans were attacking Camp Half-Blood.

**Author's Note: Dun dun duh...Okay, sorry about that. Anyways, what did you guys think about this chapter? Who's point of view would you like to see? Just some questions that I want answered. But for now- PEACE OUT!**


	3. Gaea Rises

**Percy**

I woke up in a cold, dark area, the ground hurting my sore muscles. I tried to sit up, but every single part of my body screamed in protest. Gritting my teeth in pain, I sat up against a blackened boulder, and inspected my wounds.

Okay, so I did a mental check list and it went something like this- Sprained ankle. Check. Stab wound. Check. Poisoned bite. Check. Cuts. Check. Burns. Check. Deluded optimism. Check.

With a sigh, I tried to remember what happened. Nico Iris-messaged me, then...That's where everything went blank. And that wasn't a good type of blank, like how my head felt when I was around Annabeth...Annabeth.

It's impossible to believe we were separated, again. That wasn't supposed to happened. We were supposed to be together forever. We were supposed to live together happily after the war, we were supposed to grow up, have a family... The chances of this happening seemed really small now.

Why did we have to be demigods? Looking back, I realized I wouldn't have done anything differently, but it was still terrible. No amount of ambrosia could heal my aching heart.

I realized I would never see my mom again, or my stepdad, or even my real dad. I would never fight with Thalia again, while nearly destroying the camp in the process. Tyson would never crush me in hugs anymore. I never even got to say sorry to Nico, for multiple things.

With a pang of guilt, my thoughts wandered back to my mom. I was in Tartarus on my birthday. And she didn't even realize it, she doesn't know that I'm dying, she doesn't know about any of this...

I remembered back when I was twelve, when I found out I was a demigod. It seemed so long ago, even though it has only a few years. If someone told me back then where I would be now, I would have rushed to the nearest phone to call a mental hospital. But after a few trips between hell and back, literally, I would've believed them.

Thinking about this, my mind spun over to Grover. My first real friend. I can still recall what a terrible liar he is...Things as far as that haven't changed, even if he was the Lord of the Wild. I wondered if we still had our empathy link. He said that it could kill one of us if the other died. I really hoped that wasn't the case.

I forced myself to swallow all of my misery and guilt. If I was to have any chance of getting out of here alive, I couldn't let my emotions hold me back. I stood up, putting all of my weight on my right foot, using my left for balance because of it's injury.

Taking Riptide from my pocket, which was still in it's pen form, I looked around, surveying my surroundings. I took the cap off of it, and less then a second later I held a gleaming bronze sword. It gave off a soft golden glow, that allowed me to see a few feet in each direction.

A faint scuffling noise was able to be heard, causing me to tense. I felt this weird chilling sensation run down my spine, making it feel like someone was watching me. The nerve wracking thing is, that's very possible.

_"Come little hero, help me awake..."_

I jumped at the sudden noise. The voice sounded ancient and powerful, seeming like it came from the very Earth itself. Could it be...Gaea? The words seemed to echo in my mind, no matter how hard I tried blocking them out. At this point I did the only thing that came to mind- I kept walking.

_"Almost there..."_

I wanted to stop right there, but I knew I didn't have a choice. I was trapped in one way or another. I couldn't help it, I started thinking of the others. What were they doing right now? Is everyone okay? Are they even alive? No, I tell myself. I can't think like that.

I was so lost in my thoughts, that I didn't even notice the five hooded figures in front of me. In fact, I bumped right into them. Great. One of them immediately lunged at me, but I blocked them with my sword, then slammed the hilt of it onto their head. They crumpled to the ground unconscious.

I swung Riptide in an arc, causing them to get badly cut, but still- I was outnumbered and wounded. I kneed one of them in the gut, my adrenaline numbing the pain. Their hood fell off in the process, and I saw it was a demigod. And I recognized her from around camp...People from our own camp are joining Gaea...

She had no emotion on her face, as she brought the dagger into my stomach while I was distracted. The other person grabbed my arm and twisted it behind my back causing me to drop Riptide. I gasped in pain, as they kicked me to the ground.

I tried to get up, but two of the figures pinned me down, while the girl held a dagger at my throat and the last person tied my hands behind my back. As soon as I was tied up, they dragged me forward, leaving a trail of my blood behind.

They dropped me eventually, so I was in a kneeling position with my head hanging. What was going on? Who are these people exactly? Why are they doing this? Even though my thoughts were running rapidly through my mind, they couldn't stop the piercing pain I felt.

_"Perseus Jackson, Savior of Olympus, we meet at last..."_

I tensed at the ancient voice again, and asked the best question I could think of, though I feared that I already knew the answer.

"Who are you?"

_"Gaea, better known as mother nature," she said. _

"And what exactly do you want?"

_"Information...Perhaps if I'm given the answers needed, I'll allow you to live. You are a decent fighter, after all," Gaea said in a deathly calm voice. _

"Don't waste your breath," I spat.

_"We'll see...Now, what are your friends planning?" _

"How am I supposed to know? I've literally been in hell for the past few days."

_"While that may be true, you still know what they're planning."_

"Well, yeah, but the problem? I'm not telling you."

_"Are you sure? I'll give you one last chance in case you have a change of heart. What are they planning?"_

"My answer still stands... I'm not selling them out, especially not to you."

_"Very well... Then if that's how it will be, I believe your blood will be sufficient for my reincarnation."_

I instinctively looked around for a way to escape, but saw nothing. My hands were tied, and not just literally. I'm sorry, Annabeth, I thought to myself. I let you down, I said I would make it.

That's when I saw a hooded figure step forward, and swing Riptide, my own sword, straight at me...

**Author's Note: Well... Wasn't that light-hearted? Sorry about the writing quality, but I wrote this at four in the morning when I had an idea I didn't want to forget. XP Anyways, what did you guys think? Who's point of view would you like to see next? Bye for now!**


	4. The Attack, the Grief, and the News

**Piper**

I stared at the camp in disbelief. We had just gone through all of that, and now the Romans were attacking? Wonderful. I could see Leo working away at the controls, trying to land the ship carefully so it didn't catch a lot of attention- But it's a gigantic Greek warship...There wasn't much that could be done.

Of course, we planned to land the ship smooth, but instead? It plummeted to the ground. It was hit by some sort of ammunition, and it must have been strong. Frank turned into a dragon, and allowed Hazel, Nico, and Leo to climb onto him.

I was about to panic when I remembered Jason could fly. He held me, then we all flew out and landed on the ground, the Argo ll blowing up behind us. We rushed through camp borders, snd started screaming for them to stop fighting. Obviously to no prevail.

"Let's all try to fight, except Piper. She can charmspeak them to stop fighting," Jason stated.

We all nodded, then ran into the heart of battle. I drew Katoptris, just in case I would need to defend myself. Someone lunged at me, but I jumped back, then brought the dagger onto their head. They fell to the ground. I turned around, and it seemed like everything was in slow motion.

"Stop!" I yelled, putting as much charmspeak into my words as I could. "Don't fight anymore!"

Some people seemed to slow down a little bit, but there was too much chaos for it to be effective. Maybe if I got my whole cabin to try this it would work...Without thinking, I immediately ran to the Aphrodite cabin, knowing they would sit out of a battle. Of course, I saw them all gossiping away, sitting on their beds.

"What do you want?" Drew asked icily.

"I know how to stop the fight. Please, just, all of you, try charmspeaking them " I pleaded.

"Why should we?" She questioned with a fake sweet smile.

"Because Camp Half-Blood is your home, and it's currently being destroyed!" I exclaimed. "Besides, the Romans have no fashion sense. Do you want them to rule?"

All of the cabin rushed out the doors at that, causing me to roll my eyes. I knew that would get them moving. I saw flashes of silver when I walked out, and I knew that the Hunters of Artemis must have joined the fight. We would have to stop this before it became too out of hand.

We all shouted for them to stop, and I could see it was working. Everyone seemed to become confused, and drop their weapons. I took in a breath of relief, then the Greeks started tying up the Romans. Chiron trotted over, and focused in on Jason, Nico, Hazel, Frank, Leo, Annabeth, Coach Hedge, and I.

"Children, I see you have returned. Where's Perseus?" Chiron asked light heartedly.

Annabeth started crying quietly, and a dark shadow passed over the centaur's face. The whole camp seemed to go dead silent, the only sounds coming from Annabeth. Everyone seemed to turn grim.

"What happened?" Chiron finally asked.

"Well...Let's start from the beginning," Jason decided.

"We...We found him, Percy, at the Roman camp...Camp Jupiter," I said shakily.

"Leo was possesed, and he attacked the Roman's camp, but they thought we attacked on purpose," Jason explained.

"So we fled, and went on with our quest," Annabeth stated, calming down enough to speak.

"We went through lots of annoying stuff, too much to explain actually, before going on to rescue Death Breath," Leo said, semi-serious.

"Don't call me that," Nico interrupted, causing Leo to shrug.

"Anyways, Percy took Annabeth to find Athena's Parthenon," Frank broke in.

"And the rest of us went to meet them after rescuing Nico," Hazel said.

"After...After some stuff, I recovered the Parthenon, but," Annabeth's voice started cracking at this point, but she forced herself to continue. "The ground...It started cracking. And I, and I fell. Percy grabbed my arm and tried to pull me up, but my broken ankle pulled me down. He refused to let me go...So we fell together, into Tartarus. He said as long as...As long as we're together..."

Almost everyone paled, and I could see pitying looks being thrown in Annabeth's way. I knew she wouldn't appreciate them, they would just make her angry. I really hoped someone would continue with the story.

"Annabeth and Percy traveled through Tartarus, and we met them at the Doors of Death," Hazel said.

"S-Someone needed to close the doors from the i-inside," Annabeth mumbled, tears streaming from her eyes.

"And Percy...He sacrificed himself so the monsters would stay dead," Nico said, loud enough so everyone could here.

Shock, grief, disbelief, and anger, were some emotions running through the crowds. Murmurs could be heard, along with quiet crying. Some people were even saying prayers, either hoping he was still alive or praying his soul would rest in Elysium if he died.

"Oh come on people, he can't be dead! It's Prissy, he'll survive," Clarisse said loudly, to everyone's surprise.

"And this is you saying that?" Katie Gardener asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, don't sound so surprised," Clarisse grumbled.

I sighed heavily, and put my head in my hands. I felt guilty, and miserable. I should have at least offered to close the doors, I could have charmspeaked them to move on before I sacrificed myself.

Why didn't I? Percy had a family, and lots of friends. He was important, and not just because of his position. He had so many people who cared for him, and now he's gone. No. He can't be gone. Even Nico said it, that he's the most powerful demigod he knew. But then again, he's not invincible...Well...Not anymore.

"And tell me, is he alive?" Chiron inquired, his tone dark.

Nico closed his eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath.

"No... Percy's dead."

**Author's Note: First off, PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I love Percy too! XD I'm just evil, naturally. So, what'd you guys think? Any specific things you want to happen, or any point of views that you want? The next chapter will be in Jason's point of view, as requested. Okay, so, you can let me know, but it's not guaranteed that what you suggest will happen...So...BYE. **


	5. An Unexpected Twist

**Jason**

The reaction was unbelievable. Screams, crying, sobbing, shock, so many different emotions at hearing the dreaded words- 'Percy's dead.' I myself had a hard time believing it, he was more powerful then me- No doubt. But he's actually dead...

It was really sad, actually, even though we were rivals, I thought we could have been great friends- But I guess now we'll never know. I looked over to Piper who was trying to calm down a sobbing Annabeth, though she even had silent tears running down her face.

Hazel and Frank- Who had known Percy the longest out of us Romans, were sort of in a type of shock. They didn't speak, or even cry. They just sat there blankly, as if their minds couldn't wrap around the fact.

Leo, for once in his life, was acting seriously. He didn't even have a smile on his face, he just stared at the ground, seeming as if he was deep in thought. Nico was practically the opposite of everyone. He had a dark expression on his face, yet it also seemed determined. I wondered what he was thinking.

Chiron's face was grimmer looking than I had ever seen it, and it was not very hard to guess why. It wasn't difficult to infer that Percy was practically the unofficial leader of Camp Half-Blood. I remember when I first arrived here with no memory, the whole camp seemed shaken. Why? Percy was missing. Now that he's gone, I can't imagine what it will be like.

"Is there anything else that we should know, Nico?" Chiron asked, his voice heavy with misery.

"Yes...About how he died. His blood. It was used to awaken Gaea," Nico said quietly.

"Gaea? She's back?" Chiron asked.

Nico nodded slowly. Just then, all of the sounds of grief stopped, to be replaced with dead silence. She's really back...And Percy...He died because of her. I couldn't help but think of the prophecy line- '_To storm or fire the world must fall.' _

Is that what it meant? Or did prophecy line have nothing to do with this? It said that the world must fall, so maybe it meant it must be destroyed. But then again, it had said world, not Earth which would be Gaea. So if that is the case, what or who would the world be?

I sighed, and realized it didn't matter right now. We would find out eventually, when the time was right. Prophecies do have more than one meaning after all, no matter how confusing it was. Trying to infer what the words meant wasn't always good.

"So...What now?" I asked with no emotions, hiding them as I was taught to.

"We will try to find a way to recover Perseus's body, and then tomorrow we will burn your shrouds and bury him in his," Chiron stated grimly.

"Until then?" I questioned.

"Get some rest, all of you, while we decide what to do with the Romans who attacked," he replied.

I nodded though I knew fully well that none of us would be able to sleep. How would we be able to? It seemed nearly impossible, which in all honesty, it was. Against my better judgment, I went into the Jupiter- No- Zeus cabin, and sat down on a bed.

I went back to thinking about the prophecy, which I already knew was a terrible idea. My thoughts were interrupted, when a raven haired figure in silvery clothes walked in. Just then I realized it was my Greek sister, Thalia. Her electric blue eyes were red, as if she'd been crying. Well, she had just lost her cousin, of course that's the case!

"Hey there Superman," Thalia said, her voice cracking slightly though you could tell she was trying to sound upbeat.

"Hello Thunder Head, how are you faring?" I asked.

"To be honest? Terrible. Just...Poor Annie," she stated, burying her head in her hands.

"I know, it's very unfortunate," I admitted sincerely.

"Just...How could it happen? How could The Fates be so cruel?" She asked, though I could tell she wasn't expecting an answer.

"I don't know," I said, completely unsure of what to say.

"I'm sorry Jace, I just...Can't help it! I mean sure, I couldn't stand the guy, but...He's my cousin. And way, way, way, WAY, deep down, I did care for him," she mumbled quietly.

"It seems that a lot of people feel that way... It's unbelievable to think that this happened honestly," I replied.

"Yeah, but we should have expected it...It's Percy after all. That idiot is stubborn and loyal, he wouldn't let any of you guys close the doors," Thalia pointed out sadly.

"I didn't really know him that well, but I believe you. It sounds like a lot of people are saying that," I pondered.

"Because it's true," she said, shaking her head slightly. "Anyways, I'll catch you later. I'm gonna go check up on the others."

With that, she left the cabin, leaving me once again to my thoughts. I tried to sleep, but to no prevail as my mind was almost immediately filled with unpleasant thoughts. So instead of allowing myself to be stuck with nightmares, I walked out of my cabin to take a stroll.

The moonlight reflected off the lake, creating an eerily beautiful setting. Sounds of night were able to be heard, such as owls, crickets, and footsteps. Wait, footsteps? I flattened against the side of my cabin, and peeked around the corner. I expected to see a camper just going back to their cabin before curfew.

Instead, I saw a dark haired figure enter the Poseidon cabin.

**Author's Note: :D Hi! So...This chapter was...Interesting? Sure. Let's go with that. Anyways, thoughts? Please let me know, because, well, I'm curious! Can anyone tell I don't know what to say right now? Okay, before I start rambling, bye!**


	6. You're Kidding, Right?

**Annabeth**

I couldn't sleep, I was almost positive that no one could. Everyone in my cabin at least, seemed restless- Which was no surprise. Because of this, I soundlessly rolled out of bed, and walked over to my desk.

I fumbled through it's many drawers, before finally coming up with a photo album. I knew that this much depression was unhealthy, but I really couldn't help it. I had to be strong now though, I had to try.

I gently ran my hand along the cover for a few moments, before finally flipping it open. There was a photo of Percy, Grover, and I, from when we got back from our first quest together. The next picture was one of Tyson practically crushing Percy in a hug, which caused me to laugh slightly.

After a while, I sat down the photo album, and went outside. It was a nice night, with a gentle breeze that played softly on my face. The sky was the color of black velvet, even with the tiny stars that were dotted across it.

The grass was green, as always, and the smell of strawberries wafted through the air. Maybe I shouldn't be out at night, but in all honesty, I didn't care. As I walked past the ring of cabins, I noticed something strange- Smoke coming from the Hephaestus cabin.

I was about to go investigate, when I saw a soot-covered Leo stumbling out with a cough. Oh. That explains it perfectly. With an eye roll, I walked up to the moron- I mean, eccentric character.

"Leo? What'd you do?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"What makes you think this was my fault!" Leo exclaimed, before whistling a supposedly innocent tune.

"Just the fact you're trying to defend yourself proves the point," I pointed out.

"Okay, I admit it! But on the bright side, I managed to put out the fire! Get it? Fire? Bright? No?" Leo asked, grinning.

"Don't quit your day job," I stated flatly.

"What about my night job?"

"Valdez!"

"Sorry, kidding!"

I just rolled my eyes, and started to walk away. Gods! Leo knows how to get on my nerves! I thought after dealing with a clueless Percy for all this time, I would have gotten used to it. But now, I suppose not.

"Wait!" Leo called, causing me to spin around.

"What?" I asked, starting to become slightly annoyed.

"Aren't you going to ask what I built today that was beyond awesome?" He questioned.

"No," I said. "And I wasn't planning to either."

"Please!"

"Fine, what did you build?"

"I built a- You know what? I shouldn't say."

"Oh, thanks for wasting my time."

"Yeah, like you have plans anyways."

"Funny."

With that, I ran off again, unable to deal more annoying conversation. I went down to the beach, and sat down on the soft sand. The lake was oddly calm, it seemed as smooth as glass and the color of tar.

All seemed quiet, so it was an eerie surprise when I heard footsteps. I immediately jumped up, my hand going to my dagger hilt. I looked around, and noticed Jason against his cabin, so I dashed over to him.

"Jason?" I asked.

He jumped as if he just saw a ghost.

"What!? Oh, hey Annabeth. What do you need?"

"Did you hear footsteps?"

"Yes, actually, that's why I'm out of sight."

"You didn't do a very great job at it."

"I know, I know."

"Anyways, did you see the person?"

"Yes. Whoever it was, they went into the Poseidon cabin."

That was all I needed, before carefully walking over to the said cabin. It seemed quiet, and the lights were off as if no one was in there. I opened the door as quietly as I could, but I still couldn't stop the slight creaking noise that it gave off.

I thought I heard a movement inside of the cabin, before the lights flickered on. There seemed to be a hushed argument ringing through the air, and it seemed strange to me. Why would anyone go in Percy's cabin?

Maybe it was just Tyson visiting. That seemed to be logical. But if so, who would he be arguing with? Tyson isn't the type to fight, he would much rather prefer to hug the issue out. Sometimes I have a hard time believing that I used to think of him as vicous.

However, I wouldn't jump to conclusions so quickly, as there must be another explanation. Perhaps it was even just a new camper who happened to get lost. It would make sense, as things like this have happened before.

Why do I keep thinking over this? Why don't I just investigate and find out for sure? I truly know why though, it's because it was his cabin, Percy's. It just seems strange, and almost disrespectful to enter the cabin now, even though I know he would just shrug it off. That is, if he was here.

Though I was weary, I slipped through the entrance, and looked around. My eyes analyzed the cabin, but just then the lights turned off. my hand instinctively went to my dagger hilt, so I was prepared to attack if needed.

"Who's there?" I heard a voice ask.

The voice sounded familiar. I tried to think of eho it sounded like though. Could it have been Nico? If so, what was he doing in here? Oh, I would find out anyways, so I'm not exactly sure why I was curious. I guess I just couldn't help but wonder.

"Turn on the lights, then I'll tell you," I replied flatly.

The lights flashed on, and I focused in on two figures. One, I could tell was Nico. With his messy hair, skinny figure, and pale skin. The other figure though, wasn't solid. It gave off a soft glow, and it seemed to be made of mist, it was ghostly looking. With the son of Hades here though, I suppose it could be a ghost.

I looked at the ghost, and scrutinized him to try and figure out who it was. He had messy black hair, and translucent skin, though you could tell it was once tan. He wore a friendly smile, though it looked wistful, sad even. That's when I saw the eyes. Sea green. Now, I didn't have to ask who it was, but I did anyways.

"Percy?"

**Author's Note: Wow guys, I can't even tell you how bored I was writing this chapter. BUT, I did say I would update every day. Oops? I didn't say that? Yeah, well, now I do. Anyways, bye**! :)


	7. I'm Sorry

**Percy**

Busted. That was the only word going through my mind when Annabeth walked in. Part of me severely wanted to hit Nico for this, but then I remembered- My hand would just pass through him.

I honestly never planned talking to anyone else. I was just going to talk to Nico on various matters, then he would let my soul go back to the Underworld. But now that she was here, I was obligated to talk.

So, I probably should have jumped into some explanation of how sorry I was that it had to turn out this way, that I'm sorry I broke my promise, but no. It just didn't work out like that. Instead, me being the smart person I am, I asked what's up.

Annabeth blinked at me, like she was trying to process that I seriously just said that. But then again, she probably wasn't focusing on that. I mean, it's not everyday you meet with your dead boyfriend, well, technically ex, but still.

"Wait, is that really you? How did...Explain," she decided.

"He isn't really here Annabeth," Nico told her. "Just his soul."

"So...He's a ghost?" She asked.

"Yeah, one who can hear you guys," I broke in, waving around my arms.

"Sorry," they said in unison, sheepishly.

"Whatever," I shrugged.

"Anyways...Isn't this breaking the Rules of Death or something?" Annabeth finally asked.

"Yeah, it is," Nico stated. "That's why he only has limited time. So, if you guys want to talk, I'll just step out here..."

We both nodded, and Nico took the initiative to leave the cabin. Annabeth turned to me, but the staring was making me somewhat uncomfortable so I shrugged again. Of course, I figured we were about to have a heartfelt talk. But once again, I was wrong. She walked right up to me, and slapped me- Though of course, her hand went straight through me.

"You're _such _an idiot!" She shouted.

"Point taken," I said, with a slight smile.

"Really? You're not even going to attempt to contradict that?" She asked me, looking like she was about to facepalm.

"Nah, you're almost always right anyways," I noted truthfully.

"Why did you do that? Sacrifice yourself?" She questioned, dropping the previous subject.

"Well...I'm a Seaweed Brain?" I suggested jokingly.

"Uh-huh," she said, crossing her arms.

"Okay, okay, fine. Because I didn't want any of you guys to die, and someone had to do it," I admitted, shrugging.

"That's sweet, yet it makes me want to beat you bloody at the same time," she stated, nodding slightly.

"Well, you _can't_ beat me, so I guess I'm good," I decided.

She laughed flatly.

"Yeah, no," she said.

"You're going to yell at me, aren't you?" I asked, miserably.

"No, I'm not," she sighed. "I just can't believe this actually happened..."

"I know, but it's not hard to believe," I said. "Pretty much all demigods lives end up terrible. But, at least we were happy for a few months, right?"

"Right," she agreed, staring at her feet.

"But hey, we'll see each other again. Hopefully not soon, for your sake, but we will," I assured her.

"Yeah, we will," she said quietly.

I just nodded, completely unsure of what to say. I wanted this talk to end on a good note, I didn't want any doubts left behind. Because I know that I probably won't see her again until she dies, which I hope the gods forbid.

I didn't know what I was supposed to think, the only thing I knew was that I didn't want to leave. I really wanted to stay here, but I knew I couldn't. This didn't seem fair to me, but I know that a lot of stuff isn't fair. Life included.

Suddenly, I felt a wave of guilt wash over me. I left behind my family, my friends, and Annabeth. Did I seriously do that? To them? I mean, even if I'm dead, I can still see what's going on in the world of the living. I could see the people I cared about, no care about crying, sobbing, in complete misery.

I felt bad that I had brought that onto them, but I wouldn't have done anything else. I still would have sacrificed myself. I have to remember, it would probably be like this if anyone else in our group did what I had.

I at least had to apologize for this. Even though some might say this was a brave thing for me to do, I at least have to let them know I'm sorry it had to go this way. They aren't mad at me though, I know that much.

I started working up my nerve. Those two words were simple, but they meant so much, held so much meaning it was hard to believe. I could tell I didn't have much time left here, Nico could too, I could sense it.

I'm sure he would visit me in the Underworld so we could talk about what we had to, so I wasn't too alarmed about the time. Now, I just had to work on saying goodbye to Annabeth, which would probably be one of the hardest things ever.

It wouldn't be goodbye forever, I had to remind myself that. It would just be for a while, and then we could meet again. Part of me was happy about this thought, the other was somewhat sad as I really didn't want her to perish. It would happen eventually though, and I would be waiting.

I started remembering when I was being judged. I was almost immediately placed in Elysium, as I turned down rebirth immediately. I wouldn't do that, I couldn't. I felt so confused, I can still remember that. I didn't know where to go, what to do, I felt so lost. That's over now though.

Before my resolve could diminish, I faced Annabeth, trying to remember every single feature of her face. Her smile, her eyes, everything a about her. I took a deep breath, which was totally unnecessary as I don't need to breathe. Yet, I did so anyways.

"I'm sorry, Annabeth..."

Then I disappeared.

**Author's Note: Gaaaah, that was boring to write too! And I'm sick. -_- Yet, I make sure each chapter is at least at least 1,000. XD Anyways, byeeee!**


	8. Is This Really A Good Idea?

**Hazel**

I woke up to light steaming though the windows, and falling upon my face. I groggily sat up and rubbed my eyes, then saw that Nico had already gotten up. If Death Breath beat me getting up, it must have been late. But no. I had quickly gotten changed, and walked outside when I saw that the sun was still high in the sky. Perhaps it was around ten in the morning?

Even though I just wanted to go back to bed, I trudged to the dining pavilion and sat at the Hades/Pluto table, only to see Nico already there- Eating straight out of a cereal box. I wrinkled my nose in disgust, and turned away from him, carefully taking a bite of toast. I swear, that guy had a pit for a stomach. Either that, or he was a vacuum in disguise. He seemed to notice my expression, so he looked at me.

"What?' Nico asked.

'You're eating cereal out of the box, it's gross," I stated.

"Demeter's rubbing off on me," he shrugged.

I just rolled my eyes, and finished eating my food as quickly as possible. I stood up from the table, and started walking into the forest, diamonds beginning to pop up around me. Nico seemed to notice that I was stressed, so he got up and followed me, ditching his cereal. I just ignored the other child of death, knowing that he would be too stubborn to leave me alone.

"What?" I asked, eventually getting slightly annoyed.

"Why are you upset? I know it has an obvious answer, but still," Nico said, trailing off.

I sighed, "Nico, do you even understand this? We have a giant war to fight, literally, but mostly everyone's mentally unstable after _his_ death, and no one is prepared," I finished, looking at him like I couldn't believe he just asked that.

"Oh," he said, simply.

I just sighed again, wondering how this would work out. I mean, I knew that eventually this whole thing would be resolved in one way or another. It was either we won the war and completed the prophecy or the world was destroyed by 's certainly not a lot of pressure on a few demigods, right? Okay, that was the worst attempt at staying optimistic in the history of fake optimists.

I realized that thinking like this probably wasn't good for my sanity, but in all honestly, I'm not sure what sane was anymore. After all, all sanity is lost after being a ship with Leo for more than twenty-four hours. I think doing just that would cause just about anyone, even a therapist to become mentally unstable. I snorted, despite myself, just realizing how true those words were.

Nico raised an eyebrow, "Well?'

"Well what?" I asked, blinking.

"Were you even listening?" He questioned me, sighing loudly.

I shook my head, "No," I admitted.

"Knew it," he said.

"So?" I asked.

He blinked, "So what?"

"What did you say?" I inquired exasperatedly.

Gods, this boy could be dense. I mean, sure; I guess he was intelligent most of the time, but this WAS Nico after all. Therefore, I should have known it would have taken a while to get it through his thick dead. I shook my head slightly, clearing my thoughts, but then Nico told me his plan, and I immediately reacted.

"No," I said. "Do you know how difficult that would be?"

"Well, yeah," he admitted. "But wouldn't it be worth it in the end?"

"I don't know Nico...Messing with this again...It's dangerous," I decided.

"We're demigods," he pointed out. "What isn't dangerous?"

I sighed, knowing that he actually made a pretty good point. This idea could work, but even if it did, what would the after effects be? I know that they might not be so pleasant, and I'm speaking from personal experience. Denied. Exiled. Ignored. Abandoned. Those were all of the things I felt that I was- Not that it was my choice, of course.

I wondered if we would even have a chance of succeeding if we did this. There's a very tiny chance that this would work, but now we had to decide whether or not we would take that chance. Nico seemed willing to, one hundred percent. Now I had to decide- Was I?

I know that I was probably one of the only people that could help him, and that didn't necessarily make me feel any better about it. I felt that if I agreed, and failed, it would be all my fault, yet again.

"So," Nico said after a while. "Will you help me?"

I nodded slowly, "Yes...I will."

"Thanks Hazel...I understand how hard it must have been for you to agree," he said quickly yet quietly.

"Anything for family," I replied simply, trying to change the topic.

After a while, Nico seemed to get the hint that we were headed towards an area that I didn't like to speak about, and he immediately shut up. Finally, the moron understands! I had to admit that was kind of cruel, but I still had to say it- Well, think it.

"Well, we should probably get ready for Percy's ceremony," Nico said.

"Yeah, did you find the...Body?" I asked, whispering.

"Yep," he said.

"And are you going to give it to them?" I questioned.

"Were you even here for this conversation? Of course I'm not going to!" He said, just like it was the most. casual matter in the world.

"Right," I said, with a slight nod, allowing me to drift back into my thoughts.

We were going to do it though, no matter how difficult. He deserves it, the happy ever after, more than anyone I can even think of. He, who has gone through so much, doesn't deserve this type of ending.

We were going to get Percy out of the Underworld, just like we did with me...

**Author's Note: Okay, I was literally falling asleep writing this so sorry for typos! Bye for now!**


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